Recording and reproducing apparatus



July 20, 1965 F. LOUZIL 3,195,825

RECORDING AND REPRODUCING APPARATUS Filed Nov. 15, 1962 1'1// 12 3 2 21 I 6 5 Ii INVENTOR FRIEDRICH LOUZ IL United States Patent Ofi ice 3,l%,825 Patented July 20,1965

3,195,825 RECORDING AND REPRODUCING APPARATUS Friedrich Louzil, Vienna, Austria, assignor to North American Philips Company, Inc., New York, N.Y., a

corporation of Delaware Filed Nov. 15, 1962, Ser. No. 237,816 Claims priority, application Austria, Nov. 17, 1961, A 8,704/61 3 Claims. (Cl. 242-5513) The invention relates to an improved automatic threading magnetic tape recorder/reproducer of the type disclosed in the copending application of Friedrich Laa,

Serial No. 125,603, now Patent No. 3,119,574 and as signed to the assignee hereof. Tape recorders of this type have a slide and associated catch for transferring a tape from a supply magazine to the take-up magazine or spool. Said slide is held in a guide whereby it can move from the vicinity of the tape supply to the take-up location. The catch on the slide engages a tag fixed at one end of the magnetic tape or at an end of a leader fixed to one end of the tape. In the arrangement according to the above-noted invention the catch is mounted on a pivotal slide and engages the tag in a plane normal to the axis of the spool whereas in accordance with this invention the catch is mounted in a plane parallel with the axis of the spool and is situated under the magazine or spool thereby eliminating the requirement of a pivotal slide.

The arrangement according to this invention offers advantages of simplified construction in that the catch may be rigidly connected to a non-pivotal slide and other special advantages in that the catch positively engages the tag of a magazine type supply spool upon insertion of the magazine onto or into the recorder/reproducer. Additionally, this invention provides a catch which is operative with many forms of tags and a different simpler magazine construction than shown in the above noted applications.

Also an important advantage of the improved slide and catch arrangement hereof is the ease with which the catch traverses the space between the supply and take-up locations passing the magnetic pick-up heads, driving spindle and pressing roller, without difficulty.

In the drawings, examples of presently preferred embodiments of the invention are illustrated schematically and only so much of the recorder/reproducer of the type noted is shown in FIG. 1 for purposes as an aid in understanding and yet distinguishing my invention from what is known.

The following description is given in connection with the drawing in which:

FIG. 1 is a plan view of a portion of a recorder/reproducer having incorporated therein the improvement according to this invention.

FIG. 2 is a side view partly in section, of a slide in a guide having a finger-shaped catch which is rigidly connected thereto;

FIG. 3 is a side view which shows a similar arrangement in which a pivotal catch is utilized;

FIGS. 4 and 5 are detailed views which serve to clarify the co-operation between the catch shown in FIG. 2 and a holder which serves as a magazine for the record carrier or tape; FIG. 4 being a plan View of the magazine, with its upper half removed, and the tag provided at the beginning of the tape. FIG. 5 illustrating how the magazine is placed on or into the recorder device, the magazine being shown as a cross-section of FIG. 4 taken along the line IVIV.

In the device illustrated in FIG. 1 a supply and take-up magazine 13 and 42 respectively are shown, however, the take-up magazine 42 can be replaced by a take-up spool. The supply of magnetic tape is preferably housed in a magazine 13 as shown at the left in FIG. 1. The magazines and/ or spools are placed on conventional spindles (not shown) and between each magazine the magnetic pick-ups, driving spindle, etc. are located in any suitable manner.

As seen from FIG. 1,v the tag 21 is in the path of the finger 2 mounted on a slide 1 and will be moved by said finger if the slide is moved along the guide path 6 whereby the tape is drawn from the supply spool 13. The take-up spool flange is suitably slotted to receive the tag 21 and draw it to the spool core upon rotation of the take-up spool in the known manner. The slide 1 may be moved manually or by other means such as disclosed in U.S. Patent 3,104,843.

The foregoing briefly describes the principle of operation of an automatic threading tape recorder of the type disclosed in the aforementioned application.

The improvement according to the invention is further shown in the arrangement illustrated in FIGS. 2 to 5 wherein a finger shaped catch 2 is fixedly arranged on a slide 1 located either below the tape deck or below the tape spools which may be elevated on bosses (not shown). The slide 1 is shaped in the form of a small rectangular or elongated block and made, for example, from metal, synthetic material or the like.

It is assumed in the following description of the invention that the magazine is at the left hand side of an apparatus, hence also at the left hand side of the slide, and the winding device is at the right hand side as shown in FIG. 1. The tape not shown in the figures emerges from the magazine leaving it in a plane normal to the plane of the drawing. The initial position of the slide 1 near the magazine is determined by a stop 3 provided on a plate 4 of the recorder/reproducer which supports the whole of the arrangement. From its initial position, the slide 1 is moved by a traction rope 5 (similar to rope 20 of Patent 3,104,843) to the right into its final position near the winding device. A guide path 6 for the slide is matched to the special form of the slide. In the examples described, the guide path 6 has a simple U-shape and bears on the plate 4.

An embodiment having a catch 32 which is pivotally arranged is shown in FIG. 3. The catch 32 is pivotal within a recess 7 of the slide 1 about a spindle 8 at right angles to the plane of the tape. An extension 9 is provided for pivoting the catch 32. In the initial position of the slide 1, as shown in FIG. 3, the extension 9 engages a stop 14 provided at the beginning of the guide path 6. When the slide 1 is moved to the right, the extension 9 engages the stop 19, rotates the catch about spindle 8 and comes to lie on the base surface of the guide path 6, the catch 32 then assuming a perpendicular position. When the slide returns from the right, to its initial position, the catch 32 re-assumes the horizontal position shown in the figure. The plate 4 is provided with an aperture 11 in order that the movements of the extension 9 may take place unhindered.

The slide 1 may be moved forwards and backwards in various ways between its initial position near the magazine and its final position near the winding device. Thus, the forward movement may take place either manually or by means of numerous types of drives deriving power from the drive for the apparatus. If the slide 1 has to be restored to its initial position immediately after the transfer of the tag 21 is terminated, a backsetting spring 12 is preferably provided as shown in dashed lines in FIGURE 2. However, it is also possible, for example, to leave the slide 1 with the catch 2 in its final position near the winding device until the tape is rewound at which time the tag, returning into the magazine or into the supply spool takes it along to the initial position, as shown in the figures. 

1. IN A RECORDER-REPRODUCER APPARATUS HAVINGA SLIDE ADAPTED TO TRANSFER MAGNETIC TAPE FROM A SUPPLY SPOOL TO A TAKE-UP SPOOL, THE IMPROVEMENT COMPRISING A GUIDE MEMBER MOUNTED ON SAID APPARATUS AND EXTENDING BETWEEN SAID SUPPLY AND TAKE-UP SPOOLS, A SLIDE RECEIVABLE ING SAID GUIDE MEMBER FOR LONGITUDINAL MOVEMENT RELATIVE THERETO, A CATCH MEMBER, MEANS PIVOTALLY SECURING SAID CATCH MEMBER ON SAID SLIDE FOR MOVEMENT FROM A RETRACTED TO AN OPERATIVE POSITION, AND SAID CATCH MEMBER ENGAGING SAID GUIDE MEMBER FOR PIVOTALLY MOVING IT TO ITS OPERATIVE POSITION UPON MOVEMENT OF SAID SLIDE. 